Turned a case tube

[LittleWatchShop]

I am aspiring to become a watchmaker rather than just a watch fixer.  Don't know if there are enough years left to really accomplish that.

Today, I turned this case tube from some brass tubing I found in the watch bench.  Then after turning it, I plated it with some magic rhodium.

I think it is gonna work fine, but if anyone wants to critique it, I will not be offended.

Somebody told me to buy some Loctite to secure case tubes...this was awhile back.  Somebody else told me to buy a different Loctite for some other purpose.  Now I have two, 648 and 680.  Which one is for case tubes...LOL?

[Jack75]

Forget Loctite for this work as a watchmaker you should aim for a good interference fit.

[LittleWatchShop]

9 minutes ago, Jack75 said:

Forget Loctite for this work as a watchmaker you should aim for a good interference fit.

It is a good tight fit...but it can be pulled out...so yeah...additional help is needed.

[LittleWatchShop]

I found the post...Loctite 648 for this application.

[jdm]

A normal way is to cut shallow splines in the tube. That allows increasing the interference maybe 0.05mm more and getting away with that, no crushing the tube when fitting or other scary moments. The crest of the spline will dig a seat into the case or will compress and flatten. 

If you are doing this to make the watch work then any way is acceptable. If you are doing it to learn and equate the old times when they made amazing stuff work with only shellac as cement, then you have to cut the tube again.

[LittleWatchShop]

16 hours ago, jdm said:

A normal way is to cut shallow splines in the tube.

Having a little trouble visualizing this.

[mikepilk]

20 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Somebody told me to buy some Loctite to secure case tubes...this was awhile back.  Somebody else told me to buy a different Loctite for some other purpose.  Now I have two, 648 and 680.  Which one is for case tubes...LOL?

 

 

Nice job, wish I had room for a lathe.

I recently posted about a loose stem tube and was advised by @nickelsilver to use Loctite 648 - which did the job nicely 

[jdm]

5 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Having a little trouble visualizing this.

Similar to the below. Number and depth (very little for sure) of the splines is left to experience and experimenting.

Note: I'm not talking about the splines that are on the screwed-in case tubes found premium watches. These have a different purpose: meshing a special tool for removal and refitting. 

[LittleWatchShop]

These orthogonal cuts look challenging for me.  I do not have a setup to make them...a setup similar to what is required for cutting teeth on wheels I suppose.  Something I can aspire to.

[jdm]

1 hour ago, LittleWatchShop said:

I do not have a setup to make them...a setup similar to what is required for cutting teeth on wheels I suppose.

No exotic rig is needed. That is soft material, very small cuts, and no high precision needed. Set the divider disk, a shaped ground tool, and the cross slide, moving the carriage toward the tailstock. One can also cut keyways with this method.